Üstün Yetenekli Öğrencilerin Akademik Benlik Algılarında Büyük Balık Küçük Gölet Etkisi'nin İncelenmesi

Abstract

This study focused on the Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect (BBKGE) theory and aimed to investigate the impact of gifted grouping on the academic self-concepts of gifted students. The theoretical population of the study consisted of gifted adolescents in Türkiye. The sample, formed through convenience sampling, comprised experimental-1, experimental 2, and control groups. The experimental-1 group consisted of ninth-grade students attending a Science High School in Ankara (n = 20). The experimental-2 group consisted of ninth-grade students at another Science High School in Ankara, who were grouped based on their English proficiency levels (n = 56). The control group consisted of ninth-grade gifted students (n = 12) identified as gifted and studying in various high schools in Ankara, excluding Science High Schools. In September 2024, the Oxford Placement Test (OYS) was administered to students in the experimental-2 group to determine their English proficiency levels, after which students were divided into three proficiency groups (A, B, C). Students in this group attended all classes within their assigned groups from the first day of school. To evaluate the effect of grouping on students' academic self-concepts, data were collected from the three groups in September, January, and June of the 2024–2025 academic year using the Turkish adaptation of the Academic Self-Description Questionnaire-II (Marsh, 1990). The data were analyzed according to a matched pretest posttest design (p < .05). The Kruskal-Wallis H test, Friedman ANOVA test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test were used for data analysis. The findings of the study reflect the assimilation (reflected glory) and contrast effects of the BBKGE theory, which are often overlooked in research.